


Deep Water

by skyoung200



Series: Selkie AU [1]
Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted assassination, Canon-Typical Violence, Drowning, Evil Regent, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jord is a good friend, M/M, Plotting, Selkie AU, Selkie!Damen, Selkie!Nicaise, human Laurent, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:15:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 9,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22196149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyoung200/pseuds/skyoung200
Summary: Laurent was hardly surprised that his Uncle was going to kill him. It felt inevitable.What he was surprised by was the Prince of a kingdom of selkies (something he had only believed to be fairy tales from books that made up the wonder of his childhood) saving him from that death (which honestly he felt he might just be hallucinating or dreaming in the afterlife).A Selkie!Damen AU where human Laurent survives an assassination attempt against all odds and the plot that follows. This story will be the longest work in a series or collection of other works all set in the same AU!
Relationships: Damen/Laurent (Captive Prince), Erasmus/Torveld (Captive Prince)
Series: Selkie AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1597747
Comments: 14
Kudos: 45
Collections: Captive Prince Reverse Bang 2019





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my work for the Capri Reverse Bang and here is the [link](https://augustehadbeengold.tumblr.com/post/190187021627/so-excited-to-share-my-artpiece-for) for the lovely art which inspired this fic and the others that come with. Please go check it out and give this artist all the love! I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> The titled is taken from the song "Deep Water" by American Authors which the artist and me feel really fit this work and the art work!

At this point, Laurent had stopped struggling.

His bindings were too tight, and the gag hadn’t been removed, even for water, since he spat in Govart’s face nearly two days ago. He couldn’t move his legs, his ankles tied together so tightly, even when forced to kneel it pulled hard against the rope bindings. His arms were similarly tightly bound. His wrists, bound behind his back, had died parts of the ropes red with his blood.

He no longer had the strength to physically fight back as he was dragged closer to the cliffs edge. A cliff not too far from the capital where mere days ago he had been arguing vehemently with his uncle, the Regent, about power and his responsibility to take the throne in less than a years’ time. It had been a humiliating affair in front of the Council where every deed since his young teens were dragged into the light. His mistakes, his growing pains, and his horrible change in attitude and personality since his older brother had passed. How he was not fit to rule since he had not the personality and charisma of a true leader like his brother or his uncle. The Council deciding to send this irresponsible younger Prince on a tour of his own country, to work hard with guards and local governments as practice and to prove his worth. Just as his Uncle had wanted. Laurent had no choice but to go, knowing fully it was doomed from the start.

He was wholly unsurprised when two days into his journey, a “random” band of thieves and bandits overtook his small company and kidnapped him. He had seen before he was completely overwhelmed and knocked unconscious, a double of himself and not a very good one so a pure distraction, dead on the ground, a horrible looking dagger protruding from his chest. Then a glimpse of Jord and other faithful guards raging in grief, not seeing or realizing the real prince was being carried off into the nearby woods.

A few days of abuse and beatings later and some mild starvation and dehydration, he now looked over the edge of a cliff. Slowly coming to realize and accept in a morbid way, his death would be on those beautiful rocks and waves below. He was snapped out of his melancholic staring by a voice he assumed he wouldn’t hear.

His uncle approached on light feet. Looking down at Laurent like he was merely a piece of trash worth no respect. “Shame you had to grow to be something your brother would be ashamed and disappointed of. At least you will join him in the depths of the ocean.” Was all the Regent said as he nodded to the brute holding Laurent down then turned and began to walk away.

Laurent felt the knot on his gag be untied. He normally would have some remark or rude comment to reply to his uncle but before he could even begin to catch his breath, he felt himself being lifted.

Then he was floating, air whipping around him, the sounds of waves getting louder.

With his last breath, a desperate plea slipped out. “Mother, brother, please, protect me.”

The wind quickly whipped the words away, so it was heard not even by Laurent.

His eyes slipped closed and after what felt like forever but also just a brief moment, he impacted the water.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laurent discovers Selkies are real

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter two! I hope you like it!

His prayer must have been heard, even if he wasn’t yet aware of that.

Laurent hit the water with a sickening splash and was whipped away by the current, his captors not watching long, assuming he had hit a rock and there was nothing left for them there. They packed and left.

Laurent’s eyes opened underwater and they burned as he looked around. He hadn’t hit any of the many jagged rocks and boulders that were at the bottom of the cliff and he was surprised. He had imagined he would fall right down onto them but he had missed the rocks, quickly being pulled by the tide away from them. He thrashed around gently but that did nothing but make him sink slightly more. The impact from the fall had knocked his breath out of him and hurt his ribs terribly so it wasn’t long before he ran out of air and began gasping, only filling his lungs with water.

He wished for only a moment he could have hit one of those rocks. He really didn’t want to drown the way they said his brother did.

His head tilted back, and his eyes slipped closed as he lost consciousness, now completely at the will of the tide.

~

When Laurent opened his eyes again, he was in a cave, blinded by some sunlight peeking through the opening, and to his surprise seemingly not dead. He leaned over the pool next to him and coughed up a significant amount of water. His clothes were heavy around him, soaked they were nearly double the weight and made him feel like he couldn’t breathe. So, he began to pull of the jacket. Govart had cut the front laces at some point so his jacket was already hanging open but the wrist laces were stubborn and his fingers weren’t cooperating. Not to mention the burn from the open wounds from the ropes, which were no longer there, another somewhat pleasant surprise. But he still wasn’t managing to wrestle the sleeves off. 

He was startled when another hand, larger and beautifully tanned, reached up from the pool of water which he hadn’t been paying attention to and gently took his wrist, undoing the laces for him. Laurent let it happen, watched with a sense of awe and then reality settled back in, he looked up and he screamed, throwing himself back against the wall.

The last thing he saw before he lost his vison again was what he swore was a person with a fish tail, and a very attractive person at that, lifting himself out of the water and reaching out towards him.

~

He was really getting tired of waking up from passing out and being near water. Now there were fucking two mermen, men, he found out, arguing near where was laying in the small cave. When he had first woken up, he finally fully peeled off his jacket and he was glad he was safe from the sun because it was glaring into the opening and he knew his skin would burn in a flash. He must have been out for a while, at least another whole day. He couldn’t really tell. He had nothing in his pockets, the bandits had done their job stripping him as much as possible before dropping him off the cliff, but a small embroidered handkerchief which he quickly hid back into the lining of his jacket. His hair was a mess, drying with masses of tangles. He also smelled, his jacket had been soaked and he was damp. It wasn’t the best he’d ever looked. 

Laurent had admitted defeat to the idea that he was indeed alive and he was indeed talking with real merpeople over an hour ago. Damianos’s appearance really had made it all seem less real, and the name. He introduced himself as Damianos the Crown Prince and Laurent had almost laughed but was trying to hold his sanity together. He insisted Damen was okay in place of his formal title and Laurent refused out of sheer stubbornness and unwillingness to get any more comfortable with the stranger than absolutely necessary. Damianos was ripped to say it simply, it seemed maybe a little too perfect. His tail was also a striking red with flashes of gold when the light hit it. He demanded a variety of tricks from Damianos to prove himself real, many of which were talking, getting pebbles (and rocks when he could knock big chunks free from the cave walls) thrown at him and pinching Laurent. Nikandros’s appearance sealed the deal as really, if he was hallucinating, why would there be more than one and why wouldn’t they be getting along? 

Now they were arguing. Nikandros had ignored Laurent nearly completely aside from a frustrated glare and then he turned to unleash on Damen. Laurent, listening in because they seemed to speak the same language (even when ignoring him), discovered it was about him. How Damen has responsibilities to his kingdom, not to some random unimportant human. A kingdom of selkies (selkies not merpeople?). People who needed newer and safer homes. People under threat of discovery and basically habitat destruction. A mad plotting half prince vying for the throne, which Damen seemed to deny particularly vehemently, and Laurent admired the strength of the eye roll Nikandros responded with. Laurent was starting to think it was a hallucination again, a very good one at that. An entire kingdom of selkies right out of a story book from his childhood and a fight for the throne with brotherly conflict. The irony was going to kill him. Or maybe not having any fresh water for three days, or what he was estimating was three days, would do it first.

He stood up suddenly as Damianos and Nikandros starting shouting louder, felt his head spin, so he grabbed onto a rock and leaned on the wall next to him and said with his usual bite, “Whatever the fuck is happening, I am not some hallucination of a fairy tale and I need water, so you either get me somewhere better or I die and Nikandros gets his way.” Then he sat back down with a great sigh on the rock he had deemed the least uncomfortable after hours being trapped and waited.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laurent is just trying to survive.

By the afternoon, Nikandros had, obviously with the fact that Laurent was still breathing, lost the argument and returned home to spin a story about an impromptu culture study of the humans. An on-land adventure in an attempt to gain a better understanding of what was happening on land to cause their problems down below. Apparently, it was very in character for Damen, this sort of random and stupid spontaneous mission, so Nikandros didn’t seem to think there would be a big problem when he returned without him. So, he wouldn’t be telling a complete lie, but Laurent also wasn’t going to play fully into this ‘culture study’ idea and answer any of Damianos’s nosy fucking questions especially if Damianos wasn’t going to answer his.

Laurent didn’t know how to swim and so to leave the cave, had to ride on Damianos’s back like a fool. It had been horribly awkward to adjust and situate. Damen didn’t seem to mind carrying or pulling a person at all, of course he cited like an over confidante douche that he pulled along many lighter fare lovers for fun, which only served to make Laurent angry, wishing he had his sword to show him how “fare” he really was. Laurent was pissed and afraid to touch the human half let alone hold and touch the fish half of Damen. So, he clung on and did his best not to immediately fall off or impede Damen’s movement. He felt like an uncomfortable fool, who was very likely to drown and get horribly sunburnt right before. But they made it to land, Laurent immediately running into the wood line near the beach when he was put down, shouting an “I’ll be back!” and a softer “maybe” as he escaped to the woods. 

He hadn’t directly meant to abandon or escape from his savoir but he wanted to be out of the sun and find water as soon as he could. He left Damen in the shallows gawking as he ducked through the brush. There was a large stream nearby, he could hear it and he followed that sound. It was so much warmer here in these woods and in the ocean, he knew he must be much further south, nearing the borders most likely. He wasn’t as much of a failure as his uncle liked to paint him as and so he could guess where abouts he was, what the nearest town may be like.

Suffice to say he wasn’t expecting to visit his brother’s grave, left in the small port town he had left from before his death, but he had camped in these woods before on his way to visit that grave and those trips were burned into his mind. But he found fresh water, and enjoyed slowly rehydrating. He was expecting feeling sick, tired, the adrenaline beginning to rush out of him as he slowed down.

What he wasn’t expecting was an incredibly naked and bipedal Damianos to show up in the woods and stalk him down thirty minutes later. After noting everything seemed to be to proportion, he promptly felt convinced he was dead again or had been dead the whole time. Drowned on the trip from the cave to the beach, swept away in the tide again, or who knows maybe eaten by a rouge mountain lion in the woods. So, he threw another pebble at Damen which hit him proving he was real. An activity he quite enjoyed despite how it annoyed Damen. It reminded him of being small and throwing olives at his brother during important diners. 

Figuring there was no harm to playing into potential hallucinations, Laurent directed Damen and got to work himself, building a camp, finding water, and food. It was difficult and the constant questioning from Damen was beginning to grate on his nerves but he knew he’d have to spend at least one night here before he could walk to the nearest town.

The questions seemed entirely random and entirely too personal. He had attempted to answer the first few honestly. “Where are you from? Why did you fall?”

Apparently, “High court, I’m the crown Prince” and “I didn’t fall I was thrown” was too ridiculous for Damen and he laughed at those responses, so Laurent, being in a particularly nasty mood, because who wouldn’t be after the day he’s had, refused to answer more. When he did respond it was with sass.

“What is your family like?”

“Absolutely lovely, they like to take me on long walks off short cliffs.”

“What is the weather like up here?”

“Dry, and occasionally wet but not as wet as your home.”

“What do you eat?”

“Merpeople but disguised as other fish because no one can now merpeople are real.”

Damen seemed to take some seriously and realized quickly he was not getting honest responses which seemed to frustrate him and that pleased Laurent.

Laurent responded in kind with some of his own questions but realized the answers he got were entirely too long and too honest. It was better to answer questions with dry wit than actually talk, the more he knew, the more he felt his sanity was slipping.

As the sun set, a fire was lit and conversation, or one-sided interrogation quieted.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A heart to heart on a long walk on the beach.

Laurent eventually allowed Damen to ask more questions as they walked because really it was just getting boring to walk in total silence. It had been nice to have the quiet when he woke up and when he found his heading but now that it was just waiting until they happened upon a village, Laurent was bored.

Damen was carrying something bound in seaweed and old fishing nets on his back and refused to tell Laurent what was inside. Damen was still mostly naked having just tied some washed-up cloth and nets around his waist to appease Laurent’s Veretian sensibilities. Laurent just had his disgusting overcoat, which had now been soaked and dried in ocean water multiple times, over his shoulder. He hadn’t put it back on since he had peeled it off the first time but he kept it anyways. He couldn’t pull the tight sleeves on, his wrists were healing, or maybe not, they needed looked at, and his shoulders were sunburnt. His pant legs were also unlaced at the bottom and rolled up having the same issues his wrists were. His boots had been abandoned in the first cave, leather and sea water not mixing well and making them nothing but extra useless weight. So now Laurent allowed some small talk to distract from the pain. 

It started with Damen asking simple questions again about what life was like on land and this time Laurent couldn’t be bothered to quip back so he answered honestly. Dry, cold, seasons, and all sorts of nature. Damen shared back. The ocean was so different. They had their own seasons and tides, different biomes and Laurent slowly realized he never really considered what all could be at the bottom of the ocean.

One small existential crisis about the infinite possibilities of the world unknown to them later and they settled back into conversation. Damen was overly ready to share about his personal life. It started with just talking about his father. A deep-rooted pride in his family was clear. So was the love and trust he had for those around him. His dedication to his people. Laurent decided to try and mention he had his own kingdom again and this time Damen had learned better than to laugh or respond with disbelief. So, Laurent talked of his own family. The distrust, the plotting, the dangers of the court.

“It can’t be all that bad, can it? Did you not have any siblings? Friends?” Damen posed this question softly because no matter how good Laurent was at controlling his emotions there was no denying the way his shoulders slumped and his gaze seemed to drift, not seeing the world in front of him but one of his past.

Laurent sighed heavily and nodded, “There was some good once. My brother, older and the perfect Golden Prince was the best brother any one could ever ask for.” He shook his head and smiled just a little. “He was so kind and caring. Where most scorned me for my bookish tendencies and saw me merely as an extra prince, to be tossed away or bartered off, he saw potential. He saw my quick wits, my intelligence, my craving to be useful and wanted. He always believed in me.” Damen watched Laurent speak and was amazed because this was honestly the first time, he saw true genuine positive emotions from the blonde.

“He sounds amazing then.” Damen said, leaving it open. And Laurent took that open gentle suggestion to pour his heart out with ridiculous stories he hadn’t allowed himself to remember for years. They had been locked away, overtaken by pain but now with Damen’s gentle honesty, he felt he could allow himself those good memories again. So, he did. He talked and talked and talked. Pillow forts, camping trips, fairy hunting, sword fights. All the ridiculous brotherly nonsense his brother had allowed and even encouraged.

Damen responded in kind. He had few to share of his brother. The scar on his abdomen seemed to ache at the mention of friendly sword fights and childish whims but he pushed on. Driving Nikandros insane with running off, chasing tail, exploring forbidden caves. Time spent learning and studying or more likely trying to skip his studies to play. But he had grown to enjoy strategy, tactics, logistics of caring for his people, securing their safety. Laurent felt his heart ache a little. ‘Damen would have gotten along so well with Auguste’, he thought fondly. ‘He really is a good man like him,’ was the next thought to drift through his mind and he shook his hand to dismiss it.

The town seemed to appear on the horizon in no time. The lights from the docks and the various homes dancing across the water as the sun set. They approached one of the more isolated and unused decks on the edge of town and stood there in awkward silence for a time.

“Well, this is where we part ways then Damen.” Laurent said with a nod towards the water.

Damen chuckled and nodded back, “I guess it is though I do hope to see you again at some point.” He shrugged his shoulders and continued, “I think I could use more time on land to study you mysterious humans though next time I come I should be more prepared to blend in.” he smiled warmly.

Laurent gave his own laugh, “There is no way for you to blend in you giant animal, or well fish. You’ll stick out like a sore thumb, don’t blow my cover when you come back, I’m meant to be dead.” He crossed his arms over his chest and cocked his hip.

There was another moment or two of stretched out silence before Laurent coughed to cover a stuttered out, “Thank you for saving me.” He turned his head away to hide his blush which he would have claimed to be sunburn and nothing else. Damen just smiled in response and stood quietly again. “Now leave.” He said with a humorous jab and with great effort shoved Damen off the edge of the dock to splash down into the waters below.

Damen’s hearty laugh rung out before he hit the water and Laurent swore, he could almost hear it even after Damen was completely submerged. But he turned around and walked off the dock and towards the main thorough faire of the town without looking back. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laurent goes further into town and finds an ally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter! There is also a short story that goes along with this chapter that I recommend you read after if you want!

Laurent looked just scrappy and sick enough that when he arrived in the more central parts of town, he wasn’t immediately recognized. There weren’t many of the Regent’s guard here, though an important town, it was peaceful, left to drift into small town nothingness as other larger towns took more business. But it wasn’t failing by any means, it was prosperous enough and Laurent knew the man in charge of it, Torveld. The man was technically from another kingdom, the youngest prince of a few in his homeland he was delegated to treaty negotiations in foreign places. He had fallen in love with this small town, and one of its inhabitants Erasmus, and had been close enough to Auguste to have it left in his care. He was one of the few left who was unfailingly flying his brother’s colors at his home, Laurent felt safe in his assumption that he would be welcomed, and he could stay hidden.

Laurent approached the front gates with confidence. His shoulders straight and back, his chin up. He let his expression fall into its usual hard stare he used when in court. He had no proof of his identity, all traces of a family crest, rings, medallions, taken, except for an embroidered piece of his brothers sign. He was going to have to be very convincing with his attitude and words or they’d never even give him a chance.

He walked forward, as if to just walk past the two guards stationed there and was immediately stopped. One guard leaned a spear down in front of him to block his path and another reached out his hand. “Halt. Who goes there? What’s your business?”

Laurent cocked a hip, turned towards the guard and crossed his arms of his chest with a scoff, “You think guards would be able to recognize your own Crown Prince and allow him passage where he wishes.” His tone was scathing, but he was running a big risk. His uncle may have spread the news of his death already which would make it so much harder to convince them he was real.

There was a slight sense of relief but mostly dread and annoyance when the guard replied, “The Crown Prince has been missing for over a week and you? You are claiming to be that Prince?” The guard scoffed and stepped fully in front of Laurent. He only had about an inch of height over Laurent but he used it to look down on him anyways. Nothing compared to hulking mass Damen was. The guard spoke up pulling Laurent’s attention back to the current moment, “Do you have any proof to back your claim?” His tone implied he was humoring a child or an elderly crazy person.

Laurent would be sure once he had a weapon to knock this particular guard on his ass a few times when rehoming his skills. “If you fetch the head of this household, he can back my claims. He knows me personally.” And that was true. Torveld, who still flew his brother’s colors, had hosted him and spoke with him through letters often.

“He will not get called down here just to play your games. Leave now.” The second guard with the spear said firmly, pushing it against his chest slightly to push him away.

His plan wasn’t working, he could tell there wouldn’t be much he could say to convince them so in a bold move which may have been slightly stupid, he grabbed the spear shaft and pushed it away. His path was clear and he began walking forward again. It was only a moment later his arm was grabbed and his immediate response was to shove hard on who grabbed him.

Knocking one of the people in charge of the guard went about as well as he imagined it would and he was now securely locked in a cell about 30 minutes later. It had taken them so long to get him down there since he refused to stop calling out his identity while he was still near the house and trying to fight his way free. One particularly hard slap later, he decided he had done enough and let himself be dragged off. 

~

It was the next morning when Torveld actually came to see him. If Laurent didn’t have as much control over himself, he would have been laughing at the man’s expression and raging screaming. Laurent was right, he was immediately recognized and required no piece of identity to prove himself, though the embroidered piece helped, sweet Erasmus had made it in an attempt to cheer him up one year as he visited his brothers grave. He was freed as the guards were chewed out by the captain of the guard who apparently hadn’t been told about anything that happened and also recognized Laurent.

He dismissed the apologies for his mistreatment first and denied he needed medical attention second, wanting to get directly to discussing what had become of his kingdom in his absence.

Not ten minutes later he was in a luxurious suite of the house and there were about a million physicians buzzing around him as he explained his situation. The salves and pastes burned and itched and he felt mortified to be topless and damn near pantsless but he was being listened to and believed. So, by the time his wounds were dressed, clothes were presented and dinner was served, Laurent felt sure he could stay in this town as long as he needed.

It was lovely to be in a bed that night but he was haunted by nightmares of drowning and silenced screams.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laurent does some research.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a short story to go along with this chapter so go give it a read if ya want. Hope you enjoy!

Laurent’s hair was gone. He had taken a sharp blade and sliced it short, shorter, he knew his hair would give him away in an instant. It would have been easily recognized in his normal style, so he cut it.

It had worked flawlessly so far and no one had said anything past a short comment. He felt confident the Regent was still blissfully unaware of the fact that he was still alive and that gave him freedom to gather information.

His most recent investigations had been about merfolk or selkies. There were various tomes in the library on selkies, fairy tales, encyclopedias, accounts of sightings, and so many other fantasy tales like novels that Laurent was overwhelmed. When he wasn’t reading, he was asking around town about it.

He started mostly with reading. There were journals archived here full of accounts from sailors and some from other towns collected here in a town notorious for being more superstitious than the rest. There had been a more superstitious town before. But they had bordered on mass insanity apparently. There were a few books and journals from there that Laurent struggled to believe. An entire series of docks dragged into the ocean in one swoop. Survivors hearing singing and walking out to the ocean to kill themselves. The insanity being passed onto their children. They said the town was infected with sirens, driving people mad and eating them. There was a journal from a young sailor who had lost his mother and his accounts of her death and how he saw the beaches after was haunting. He decided from then on out to stick to more local authors from the town he was staying in.

One book was particularly factual, almost fictional seeming, it was shelved in the fiction section at any rate. But it seemed so accurate. The details in the art of anatomy and tail structure more specfically were stunning and thinking back to what he saw with Damen and Nikandros, this book seemed more and more true to life. He “borrowed” that particular book to keep for himself. He didn’t know if he was ever going to see Damen again but if he did, he was going to make Damen put up with his cross referencing, just for research of course. But books only told so much and considering fiction and reality were blended here, real stories versus made up being confused and crossed over, he figured asking people directly may be more efficient. 

One night, he happened to be in the right pub at the right time. He was asking around and had had the most success in this spot before so he was there again. His hair was still incredibly short, slightly dirtied to hide the color. He wore simple clothes, buying from local markets and refusing opulent gifts and outfits from Torveld. He was trying to blend in and so far, he was doing a great job. Tonight, he had his soft grey cloak to cover him, a hood pulled over his head to hide his features and allow him to listen and look without being seen really. He had just settled in when he saw a sailor, from a partner ship to Auguste’s who had survived the whole catastrophe, had a crowd and enough drinks to tell the tale. It was nothing like what the court and the rest of the country had been told. Someone had covered up the truth and Laurent had a feeling he knew exactly who that was.

“It was a clear day. Don’t listen to the fuckers who say it was stormy, that it was weather who ruined our journey because it wasn’t, they wasn’t there. It was a perfect day for sailing, the only reason any of us dared to take the Crown Prince out in such a notoriously dangerous area. I mean the whole port town down that far had their docks completely destroyed and it now lays abandoned. He had insisted on seeing it really. I told them it was a bad fucking idea, none of them ever listened to me. Just because I’ve heard the sirens and lived, seen the selkies, doesn’t mean I’m crazy.”

Some of the jeers in the crowd insisted he was and with some hard shushing from Laurent and the younger sailors who have waited to hear this story this sailor was famed for telling, the crowd settled.

The man let out his own shouts of nonsense and then took a heavy drink and started speaking again, “We took two ships out, the Prince in his own fancy ship from the north, I told them it wasn’t ready for these waters, wasn’t equipped. Never fucking listen to me.” His voice would trail into an angry mutter, maybe even a twisted humming, before picking up volume and continuing on, “So off we went, the Prince to see why the town was abandoned and why fishing was having problems here, if there was something to be done to help people here, he was a good man he was. But the selkies don’t care. Sirens maybe less. Foolish northerners sail over dangerous waters, cross into their territory, and the selkies get mad.” His hands seemed to shake as he took another swig of his drink, “And the selkies attacked. They were so many, as me boat turned and fled, fucking coward of a captain. I refused to help our own escape; I kept my eyes on that ship. I saw our Prince go down, a beast of a creature, a red and gold tail like nothing any of the others had and nothing like I’d seen before.” He seemed to be tearing up and Laurent himself choked back tears. “He went down and they disappeared into the depths. They found parts of him and his armor washed up on shore in the morning, buried him fast before the family could see. Now that’s my fucking story.” He sat down from his perch near the empty fireplace and accepted a variety of pats on his back and free drinks.

Laurent, torn apart by a new variety of grief pushed forward and sat across from the man. A flash of a few gold coins and every story about selkies the man had was being spilled and more details about the death of his brother.

He left the pub with a stumble. He hadn’t had a sip of alcohol; it was all shock. It was Damen. It had to have been. 


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laurent sees Damen for the first time after discovering the truth behind his brother's death.

When Laurent saw Damen walking down the pier, he was ready.

Damen seemed better prepared to be on land that day, clothes and a sword at his hip. Laurent was glad to see it because as soon as Damen was close enough, he drew his weapon and fell back into a stance. He may want to kill Damen at the moment but he would not attack an unarmed man.

Laurent didn’t hesitate, once Damen had drawn his weapon out, Laurent came running at him. It was a sloppy fight; Laurent knew he could do better but he was fighting his own emotions at the same time. He just couldn’t believe this man, selkie, animal had killed his beloved brother. Damen was also clearly not putting his all into it. He was confused and didn’t want to hurt Laurent no matter what was going on, Nik was right he did have a soft spot for blondes.

It went on for a while, sloppy fighting and dirty tricks across docks and sands, until finally Laurent seemed to have completely tired himself out. When he did, he threw down his sword with a scream. They were on a beach, a good distance away from town, sun setting behind them. He approached Damen and with not nearly as much strength as he had hoped for, he punched Damen squarely in his chest, “Giant fucking animal”. He said a wobble in his voice. “Have you ever taken down a ship flying these flags?” he said as he held up the smaller hand embroidered version of his brother’s crest, worn with age, he had always had it tucked away in his clothes.

Damen gently took the fabric and sighed heavily, “Yes, I have, they were too close to our kingdom, we were at risk of being discovered, of a new fishing route being established, I protected my own.” He said with a firmness in his voice, not ashamed but quickly understanding perhaps why Laurent had attacked him. “It was not the original plan to actually attack but my brother- “

Laurent cut him off, “My brother… the beloved crown Prince of the kingdom you are now in… you killed him. You were seen dragging him to his death, his corpse on the beach the next day. You did this.” Laurent let tears fall as he grabbed his brother’s crest back and turned away. “I…. I thought you were a good man as he was…I trusted in you…your tales. Foolish.” He ended on a whisper and began to walk away.

His heartbreak was practically audible, no matter how silently he cried. Damen felt his own heart break with it. He hadn’t realized just how deep this wound ran for Laurent, he didn’t expect it to be a brother, a dear loved one, the one he heard so much about from Laurent during their travels. “Laurent, please, you must understand, I did only what your own brother was doing. Protecting his own people.” Damen’s tone was begging as he followed after Laurent.

Laurent’s laugh was hitched by a sob. “Just let it go Damen, the damage is done, you know.”

So, Damen watched Laurent wander down the beach into the dark as he stood, now alone wringing his hands. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the brief angsty sword fight. Please let me know what you think!


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damen tries to recover and some intense plotting is revealed.

Laurent noticed the notes, the scraps of information, the pleas for attention. They show up everywhere it feels. Never in his actual room. He didn’t think Damen had found a way past the guards or maybe, he was aware enough to know the violation of privacy would piss Laurent off worse. No, they mostly showed up in slightly risky public spaces. Pinned to boards or walls with an L written on the front. Left at bars for him with bartenders. Laurent was worried Damen’s chasing and hint placing was going to give away his identity but Damen seemed to be careful in his own right while still begging for attention.

He had seen Damen sulking around town both placing notes when he didn’t think Laurent was around and intentionally looking for him, trying to corner him to talk, to try to clear up the weight of their last conversation and Laurent was not having it. He knew the town better and he had played too much hide and seek in a seemingly endless palace as a child to not be able to escape one overly grown puppy of a man.

The notes he did read. Marveled at the fact that Damen has somehow managed to secure paper and ink in his seemingly short stints on land and be there long enough to dry out and write what he did. There were maps of the sea, dotted with hand written notes, names of towns, fishing routes, dangerous currents. There were also stories of the politics, of how the mysterious society beneath the sea functioned. Laurent’s natural curiosity just couldn’t leave the papers alone. Though he would never admit it, the bribery may have been working. Learning of how various ships had been sunk and why, starting to understand the balance needed, but hard fought since a war between two countries, where one believed the other was pure fiction was complicated.

Laurent had his own political problems to deal with though. He had seen a messenger, decorated heavily in the crests and colors of his Uncle’s brand wandering the town, waiting by the docks late at night. Then soldiers began to filter in. They took up posts around town, the docks, the bars. They were as rowdy and lousy as they were in the capital, maybe worse since here they were far from any form of higher authority. Laurent wished some of his own guard was here but he had not seen any of them mixed in. Both a relief, knowing they were loyal, but a pain in the ass because if at least one of them came he could have some sort of support. The new influx of soldiers was clearly brought in against the will of the town, who, despite strict orders to change banners, refused. The guard at Torveld’s house remained the same as well. He was doing his best to keep his home private so as to protect Laurent’s identity. But Laurent feared he would be discovered more and more every day.

Then whoever the messenger was waiting for arrived. Rising from the water and onto the docks nearly exactly as Damen would, Laurent was shocked to see someone resembling Damen standing there. He looked just as well decorated and incredibly arrogant. The messenger and mysterious new selkie moved from the docks to a nearby bar. The bar was known as one of the seedier and Laurent had stopped going alone after one too many drunk flirts refusing to leave him alone. It didn’t seem surprising to him and despite his disgust with the place, Laurent followed.

Laurent was dressed for espionage today mostly. His hair was growing out, making his chances of being found out higher. After a few weeks of no problems and endless research he had let it slip. He was also sick of the ugly haircut. Damen’s vague comments about it defiantly had no sway over the choice to allow it to grow, none that he would admit anyways. His normally dull blue and grey, changed out for brown and grey much more well-worn. He had started getting clothes from the stable boys to hide, he snuck out the stables anyways so why not make a pit stop to change. Damen seemed less ready for espionage. With how big he was he was recognizable to anyone who dared to look longer than a few seconds but luckily it seemed those they were following were too consumed in their own business. But it was how Laurent was easily able to tell who sat down next to him as sat at a nearby table to listen in. Damen of course had followed, but his expression seemed as serious as Laurent’s. He slid a note to Laurent which had written on it the simple phrase ‘that is my brother scheming with your Regent.’ 

Laurent read the note, tossed it into the fire, and nodded slightly. They managed to listen for nearly a half an hour of sick twisted plans of the Regent arriving here in a few weeks time to meet with Kastor and make their final arrangements. Damen hearing his own people, father, and self being threatened by back stabbing, he could no longer hold in an angry growl, throwing a mug behind him, managing to hit one of the Regent’s guards. Luckily enough, bar brawls were frequently enjoyed in this particular establishment.

As all hell broke loose, Laurent took up his preferred habit of throwing olives while Damen threw some punches, but it wasn’t long before both Damen and Laurent were recognized and were forced to flee.

The town itself wasn’t overly large but there were enough alleys to go dodging down. A quick run through a whore house, a trip onto a balcony and some close calls found them both leaping from roof to roof as the sun rose. They had lost their pursers by now and were just looking for a nice roof to sit on. They found one flat enough to just sit and watch the sun come up, both giddy from the running.

For now, they knew they would have to face the treason and politics waiting for them back on the ground, but they could take a moment to gently hold hands and watch the world brighten. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUUUHHHHH drama! plot! scheming! Hope you liked it!


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A friend arrives in town and some counter-plotting begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! There is a drabble related to this chapter being added to the series. It's all about Nicaise!

There was a lot of planning to do. They had a few weeks, which was not a lot of time to plan a way to thwart a two-country royal overthrowing.

Much to Laurent’s relief, a few days later another round of soldiers arrived. Damen had thought him truly insane when he let one of his rare smiles peak through when they watched a band of soldiers march into town. But Laurent had seen Jord and if Jord had been forced along the rest had probably followed.

It wasn’t hard to get to Jord, he wasn’t in a rank he deserved, a simple route to pace and look over the docks, not a captain of the guard like Laurent would have had him. Laurent had gone alone to meet him.

“Well I see you’ve gotten a demotion, wonder how that happened to the captain of the crown prince’s guard?” Laurent joked as he walked up to Jord’s side to begin walking along his path with him.

Jord seemed to startle slightly and turn to Laurent, peeking under the hood and with a gasp, “MOTHERFU-“ Laurent slapped a hand over his mouth and quickly marched them into the shadows slightly off their path. When they were hidden, Jord immediately began speaking, “You’re alive, you are fucking alive. And here? Of all places? They’ve been making preparations for your funeral.” He said in a slightly panicked voice.

“I’m a lot harder to kill than my Uncle thinks.” Laurent pulled two thick envelopes out of his pockets. “We don’t have a lot of time but these, one for you, an explanation, it’ll sound crazy but have faith. The next is a set of instructions, I need information from that damn messenger.”

Jord seemed confused but settled them into his own pouches. “Why are they sperate?” he asked as he began checking their surroundings, he was realizing the gravity of the situation.

Laurent shook his head, “Honestly you’ll read the first and think I’ve lost my mind. So, I left the reality breaking information about an entire kingdom of fairy tale creatures underwater in one letter so if it’s too overwhelming you can stop reading and just do as I ask in the other.” Laurent nodded, patted Jord’s shoulder and then disappeared down a dark alley leaving Jord, stunned, to stumble back to his route and come up with a convincing lie as the next solider came to take his place. It really was his Crown Prince then.

~

With some sneaking around on Jord’s end and pick pocketing the messenger when he was overly drunk on Laurent’s end, Laurent had obtained some of the letters his uncle had been sending back and forth. He realized his Uncle must have known for well over a decade about the existence of selkies. That he had known Kastor for a rather long time as well and they had been plotting for ages. Damen was enraged when he found out his brother had a hand in their fathers’ illness. Laurent was enraged when he realized his Uncle had known his brother would die in the seas at this port and that his pets were all land locked selkies, with their tails locked away somewhere away from them. He thought of Nicaise and felt his heart ache.

He made a risky choice; he sent a letter. Having Jord helped, he could sneak around with much less worry about getting caught than Laurent. The letter let Nicaise know that the hope he had promised so long ago of safety was still there, that was doing his best to help. It was also a way to ask for inside information. The letter was heavily coded but a simple note about a sapphire earing he figured would be enough for the boy, or well selkie to understand.

When a sapphire earing arrived with a thick letter full of copies from private journal pages and some formal paperwork decreeing the assassination of the previous King and the planned but not needed assassination for the Crown Prince. They were signed, solid, irrefutable evidence. But Nicaise had not replied to the next letter Laurent sent and he feared for the young selkie.

Damen also gathered information. He sent Nikandros to follow Kastor. He spent hours with councilors and advisors, trying to settle his own power, find other traitors. It was difficult, he was not used to such complicated political dances but Laurent was there often on the beach to talk and advise him.

Laurent, in return, learned from Damen of a more honest and open path. He may never truly be as trusting as Damen seemed to be. He could wander in town with a smile and make a dozen friends with ease, and he led Laurent along with him. And so, Laurent slowly learned. He saw more and more that his ideas of Damen from when he rescued him, that he was a man as good as his brother, were true, truer than he even thought then.

Then there was love. In a storm of hate, plotting, and stress, they fell in love. It was the hand holding on roof tops to flowers and sweet gifts from Damen, to Laurent sharing his favorite stories and Damen telling him whether or not they’re actually fiction. Damen had honestly been in love from the beginning, he was a lovesick fool like that but Laurent fell slower and with a lot less grace.

He wasn’t sure to handle affection or the attention. He didn’t know how to return it. He first made sure Damen knew what he was getting himself into, that his Uncle was the unsavory type, he spent time with young boys, and that he had been an isolated young boy when his brother died. Damen had punched a wall then, nearly breaking his knuckles but Laurent stopped him. From there, there was a gentleness to Damen’s affection. He made it clear this changed nothing but make his desire to catch Laurent’s Uncle in his plots even stronger.

So, Laurent opened up more, and let the love in. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit goes down.

It was the day. All their plans were ready to be sprung into action. It was just a matter of time. A waiting game.

They waited in a home near the docks, with Laurent presenting his family seal to the residents of the home and asking for the space, it was no problem. A team lie in wait for the arrival of the Regent, for him to come to the docks and meet Kastor.

It was midday, but they had heard news of a caravan arriving the night before. Patience was key and catching them unaware in broad daylight was better than an ambush in the night. Laurent was itching to go to work. Not only was he ready with the strength of Damen, his lover, to take down the man who had abused him for year and he was ready to free the tortured soul trapped with him.

Nicaise had been strung up like any other fish to dry on the beach, his tail drying next to him just out of reach, and they could do nothing until the Regent was apprehended. Nicaise was being treated as such because his letters and packages to Laurent were found, too late to be stopped but enough for the Regent to know he had been betrayed. He was making a show of what he could do, how he could hurt the innocent.

The next caravan had arrived just as Laurent planned, quiet and disguised, a few trustworthy councilors to witness the mess and betrayal about to be unveiled. The same was coming from Damen’s side. It was a game of hide and seek in a city not large enough to handle the amount of people all trying to play their own games.

It happened quick in the end, faster than Laurent imagined it would.

Kastor and the Regent on the docks together, signing some treaty. Sealing the doom of both countries in their own minds, cementing their own greedy power. They had had a table brought just to present the documents out on. His Uncle signing with his usual snobbish up tight posture. Kastor signing, still dripping wet but seemingly completely uncaring about the papers getting wet. 

Then the chaos began.

Soldiers, Laurent’s personal guard and others from Damen’s arriving surrounding them, swiftly met by the Regent’s guard. Neither group of soldiers moved to begin any attacks but the tension as over a dozen soldiers on each side, selkie or humans, stood their ground.

Then Laurent and Damen stepped out themselves pushing through the soldiers. His Uncle seemed surprised but only briefly before falling into a harsh anger. “Have you missed me?” Laurent spoke sassily as he pulled a large stack of papers from under his cloak. “I certainly haven’t missed you, not with all the reading about your plans and letters. Since you’re attempt to drown me didn’t really work, I’ve had lots of free reading time.” He stepped forward to boldly slap them down onto the table, then crossing his arms over his chest, he looked over his shoulder to Damen.

“Brother, a similar message. Missed me? Have fun with your plotting?” Damen asks in a tone so harsh Laurent was proud of him. He stepped up to stand next to Laurent, placing down his own piles of evidence. Kastor seemed enraged and stunned into silence but only for a moment. His face red, he opened his mouth to shout but the Regent’s laugh had cut him off.

Laurent’s Uncle laughed, “You think some petty letters or useless pieces of paper will save you here? Where’s the council to even view this and judge them? You hold no strength here. You should have died that day; you have no power as a ghost in a nothing town.” He picked up some of the scattered papers, feigning indifference but as his grip tightened, Laurent saw the realization creeping across his face he had truly been caught.

From the same place Laurent and Damen emerged, a few councilors stepped forward. Their faces serious. It had taken no small amount of begging and maybe some sly bribing by his one true ally in court, Berenger, to talk these councilors into coming. Now they all were steadfastly ready to support Laurent. Hand signed letters of crimes of high treason seemed to be just enough to overcome years of slander and misguidance in an instant. Now, they came forward to the table to begin formally charging the Regent of his crimes.

Both Kastor and the Regent seemed to be finally showing signs of nerves. Kastor’s anger was still there and it was clear he was ready to defend himself until he saw councilors from his own kingdom walking towards him. Damen had a much easier job charming the councilors into belief, especially because Damen was overly honest. His father had been harder to speak to. It isn’t every day your son tells you his other son is poisoning you and planning a coup with humans. But he had accepted it enough to grant Damen permission to more officially reveal their home to the humans, to not hold back doing what he needed to protect them all, in one of his last breaths. Damen’s current level of determined to fulfil those words was extreme.

The reality of the world of selkies and humans was finally coming together.

And so, the real chaos broke loose. Fighting.

The lashing out of violence from the Regent, as Damen had swiftly with a skill unmatched disarmed his brother and left him to other soldiers, but his back was turned, and the Regent was truly a snake of a man with a dagger in hand. It was a stupid move but Laurent wouldn’t allow his Uncle to hurt another, especially not Damen. He only realized he was bleeding from the dagger buried deeply into his side as Damen caught him on his way down. God damn it he thought he was done fainting near large bodies of water; he had his fill but it seemed he was in for another round.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter, the end to this story.

Laurent woke up incredibly sore and tired.

“Fucking hell.” He groaned as he looked around, Damen sleeping in a chair, head resting on his bed. Laurent gently swept his curls back away from his face and sighed. He seemed in one piece. When looked down at his own chest the bloody bandages were shocking to some degree. But he seemed to be breathing alright, there was no big panic.

He heard conversations and shouting down the hall and steps quickly approaching his room. Nicaise opened the door, not slamming it open per say but he wasn’t gentle. It started Damen awake and made Laurent glare. “You’re awake!” Came from the two of them nearly simultaneously.

“Yes, and it hurts, what’s happening? Damen are you okay?” Laurent asked, his voice scratchy from disuse. He leaned over to kiss Damen, a hand still in his hair.

Damen nodded and with a big smile recounted the arrest of both the Regent and Kastor. The Regent was bound for an execution. They had found the notebook and contracts, which Nicaise had sent to him, describing his assignation of Laurent’s father and his plans for Auguste had he not died on that ship without interference, compelling enough evidence. The council was swift and harsh with their judgment, only awaiting their Prince to finalize their choice. Kastor was set to be banished, sent to a desolate land to the north on land, doomed to wander for as long as he could survive.

A treaty had been established between councils. A plan to begin to integrate cultures, beginning trade and exchanges. Nothing so quick as to cause a shock but there would be announcements and publishings. Laurent mostly was excited about his head start in writing about the mysterious creatures and thusly could be first publishing and Damen was just exasperated that of all things his lover was worried about now, it was books, of course. 

~

It was afternoon just a day later when Laurent was lifted out of bed by Damen, dressed as formally as he could manage with his pain. He was planted on his feet but Damen never let him go. Laurent was quiet enjoying Damen’s mother hen tendencies and once Laurent was stable, they began the slow walk to the docks.

Today was a properly grim day. The sky promised rain and maybe even a storm in the evening. But for now, they walked down the streets dry. There were locals hanging about, wanting to glimpse the Prince, soon to be king. Laurent kept his head high; he would not show his people that he was weak. He would come into his new position with power and strength with the end of his Uncle.

Drowning. They would be drowning him.

Laurent reached the dock to see his Uncle there stripped of his fancy dressings, his medals, his jewelry. He was left looking an undignified mess and Laurent enjoyed seeing this monster that had haunted his life as a mere human facing his mortality.

The waters below were churning with the incoming rain and the boats they stepped into rocked heavily. But they rode out further to where the sea floor sank seemingly endlessly before they stopped. Laurent was in a boat with Nicaise at his side. Damen was swinging alongside. The Regent and his executioner were in their own boat. The weights to be tied to his Uncle’s ankles were distributed across the two boats so as not to sink one. But they were all slowly transferred over.

Wrists and ankles bound. The weights secured to his ankles. His legs dangled over the edge. A slight fight, just a twisting of shoulders and a maddened crazed desperate look, and a disconnected plead were all that was seen and heard before the Regent was shoved into the water. He sank fast, disappearing out of sight, only a trail of bubbles to show he was ever even there.

The sigh of relief that wracked Laurent’s frame was immense. The sob of relief from Nicaise was even more compelling. The slow careful row back to shore was enough for the two to breathe in the fresh salty air and feel true freedom for the first time. 

Back on land they were welcomed with celebration and excitement. They had been saved. Their Crown Prince was bound for his rightful throne.

Laurent walked through the crowds, accepting flowers with a genuine smile. He was just relieved all had gone mostly to plan. Damen was safe, Nicaise was safe, and his two worlds were slowly coming together.

Now he just had to heal a damn stab wound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you've enjoyed reading this fic! Let me know what you think about it! I had a really fun time writing this and working with my artist on the story and I'm really pleased with how it came out! Thank you for reading!


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